Introducing the Stan Smith Mylo by adidas
April 2021
Innovating and stepping forward into a brighter future doesn’t have to mean leaving behind storied histories. A new proof-of-concept shoe from adidas – the Stan Smith Mylo – is evidence of that, as both an homage to their classic line and the first-ever shoe made from mycelium-based Mylo™ material.
Befitting their role as a global leader in sportswear, adidas’s work on the Stan Smith Mylo was all about moving faster towards a better future. And that meant innovation and exploration. Adidas hand-selected the iconic Stan Smith silhouette as its first Mylo product, because choosing one of the most globally in-demand shoes would allow them to scale the material more quickly. And they had a hand in the development of Mylo material itself, giving critical feedback on early samples. “Mylo has the strength and performance it does today thanks to the guidance and deep technical expertise of the adidas team in making great footwear,” said Jamie Bainbridge, VP of Product at Bolt Threads. The result? A physical embodiment of adidas’s pledge to find innovative answers to the question of how to make our future more sustainable.
Adidas also took this as an opportunity in their journey of looking to nature to help end plastic waste, a journey Bolt Threads – the team behind Mylo – is proud to support. A natural rubber midsole complements elements made with Mylo: the outer upper, perforated 3 stripes, heel tab overlay, and premium branding. And an off-white colorway provides a fitting allusion to our own inspiration, the mushroom. As Amy Jones Vaterlaus, Global Head of Future at adidas, noted, “As a planet, we must learn to work with nature rather than against it and put all our efforts into finding innovative solutions that are created responsibly with resources that renew at a sustainable pace. Designed in synergy with earth’s ecosystems. And as a brand, we continue to see possibilities.”
2021 has already been an exciting year for Mylo, with this Mylo product debut coming on the heels of another consortium partner product launch, from Stella McCartney in March 2021. Adidas plans to drop a limited run of the Stan Smith Mylo in 2021.
